Evaluation of salivary sialic acid levels in acute lymphoblastic leukemic children and its correlation with dental caries experience.

The aim of present study was to evaluate the salivary sialic acid levels in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemic (ALL) children and to correlate it with dental caries experience. A total of 120 children aged 4-10 yrs were divided into 4 groups of 30 each. Dental caries experience was recorded followed by un-stimulated saliva collection. The mean salivary sialic acid levels of the study group were much higher when compared with the control group, which was statistically significant. A linear relationship between salivary sialic acid levels and dental caries in leukemic children was observed. The findings of our study conclude that salivary sialic acid levels may have a potent activity in dental caries process and can be used as a useful marker in cancer